A Multilayer Hierarchical Structure of an I-pain System for the Assessment of Postoperative Pain via Fuzzy Pain Relief Index

A multilayer hierarchical structure for an i-pain system is described in this paper. There are four levels which are patients’, measuring, web-based, and interpreting levels to collect massive amounts from clinical information and analyze it with both traditional and artificial intelligent methods. To support this, a novel fuzzy pain relief (FPR) index derived from the interval of each bolus of patientcontrolled analgesia (PCA) is designed and documented in a large scale clinical survey. The FPR index is modeled according to a fuzzy modeling algorithm to interpret the self-titration of the drug delivery. Two hundred and fiftyfive patients receiving intravenous PCA using morphine (1 mg/ml) were tested this index by off-line analysis from ipain system. We found the FPR index modeled from a fuzzy modeling algorithm to interpret the self-titration of the drug delivery can show the patients’ dynamic pain and past efforts for overcoming pain suffering. Moreover, it could become on-line monitoring patients’ pain to be entered into a patient’s chart along with temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates when medical doctors make a visit in the ward regularly.